Portable oil heater



0 1 .1 t a M f II In Lg-id I! '0 I) II Apr 17, 1923 Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH HOFFMAN, or KANKAK-EE, ILLInoIs, AssIGNon To SEARS, ROEBUCK AND 00., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A oonronarron on NEW YORK.

PORTABLE OIL HEATER.

Application filed November 4, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RUnoLrH HOFFMAN, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee. in the county of liankalree and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Oil Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to heaters, and has for its primary object the provision of a heater which is especially adapted for use in exposed places such as in the trenchesemployed by fighting forces where severe weather conditions are ei'icounteredand where all lights must be concealed and no smoke may be created.

itfore particularly, one object of the invention is to provide an oil heater, of the blue fiame wickless type, which is of a very compact construct-ion and arrangement so as to consume a minimum amount of space and so as to be conveniently transportable.

The objects of the invention thus generally stated, together with other and ancillary advantages, are attained by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof in Which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a heater embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional I View of the heater taken on line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a trap; mentary vertical sectional View taken on line 41-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4. F ig. 6 is a similar view taken in the plane of line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a fragment'al transverse sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 3.

The heater comprises, generically, a base 1, a drum 2 swingably mounted thereon, a

burner 3 mounted for vertical movement within the upper portion of the base, an oil reservoir 4 surrounding the upper portion of the base 1 and communicating by way of an oil well 5, discharge pipe 6 and extensible delivery tube 7 withthe burner 3.

The base 1 may beprovided at its lower end with a downwardly and outwardly flared ring 8 forming a support for the heater, and near its upper end with an up wardly and outwardly flared ring 9. The ring 9 is closed at its upper end by means of a plate 10 having a central flanged open- Serial No. 260,986.

'12, in the form of an inverted channel, is

secured to the upper edges of said walls to close the annular space therebetween, and said ring also forms a seat for the lower end of the drum 2 of the heater.

The drum 2 is made substantially equal in diameter to that of the upper cylindrical portion 11 of the base and at its lower end is preferably provided with an angular ring 13 to enable the drum to be more firmly supported by the ring 12 on the base. Preferably the drum is swingably mounted on the base in order to afford access to the interior of the base. To this end the drum is connected to the channel ring 12 at one side of the heater by means of a suitable hinge 14 (dotted lines Fig. 3) and at the opposite side of the heater releasable means are provided for holding the drum in operative position. Such means may comprise spring latch member 15 (Fig. 6) secured at its lower end to the base 1 and normally engaging the ring 13 of the drum 2. A push pin 16 entered through the ring 9 of the base and secured at its inner end to the latch member affords a convenient means for operating the latch member from the exterior of the heater to release the-drum.

At its upper end the drum is provided with a top 17 which serves not only to close the drum against the entrance of rain or snow, dirt or other substance, and to deflect the heat from the burner in a direction radially of the drum, but also to shield the lighted burner from the vision of enemy airmen. Such top may be of any preferred construction. Herein it comprises two plates 18 and 19. The plate 18 is" secured to the upper peripheral edge of the drum and has a central opening 20 therein, while theplate 19 is mounted above the platelS as by means of spacing sleeves 21 through which bolts 22 are entered, the latter being also entered through the plate 18 and their lower ends secured by means of nuts 23 to angle irons 24 secured to the side wall of the drum. Preferably the plates 18 and 19 have their edges flared downwardly, while the edge of the opening is defined by an upstanding flange Thus any reflection of the light from the burner upon the under surface of the plate 19 cannot be seen from the side oii the heater.

The burner 3 may be of any suitable and well known construction. Herein it is of the blue flame wickless type and comprises an annular burner bowl 26 carrying the usual lighting ring 527 and also supporting a hood comprising a pair of concentric combustion tubes 28 and 28 (Figs. 3 and a which in turn support a burner drum 29, in a well known manner.

The burner 3 receives its supply of fuel from the oil reservoir 4. This reservoir is herein made annular in form so as to surround the upper cylindrical portion 11 of the base 1. The reservoir rests upon the plate 10, and is removable from the heater for filling by being lifted upwardly, the drum 2 and handle passing through the cen tral space in the reservoir. As above set forth, said cylindrical portion is offset inwardly to accommodate the reservoir, in order that as little space will be consumed thereby as is possible consistent with the provision of'a reservoir of suflicient capacity. At one side of the reservoir, depending from the bottom thereof, is a valve casing 30 (Fig. 3) having a valve member 31 mounted therein for controlling the flow of fuel from the reservoir into the oil well 5. The bottom of said valve casing may be in the form of a screw plug 32 having a cen tral opening 33 therein the upper edge of which is shaped to form a seat for the valve member 31. Said valve member is mounted for vertical movement within the casing by means of a stem 34c arranged to operate through the opening 33 and also through an opening in the upper end of a cage! 35 mounted on the bottom of the casing and surrounding the valve member. A coiled spring 36 surrounding the stem 34 and bean ing between the valve member and the upper end of the cage 35 serves to normally hold the valve member upon its seat, so that when the reservoir is removed from its position upon the base 1 the flowof oil is automatically cut off.

The valve casing '30, however, when the reservoir is in its operative position upon the base 1, is arranged to depend into the oil well 5 (Fig. 3), and the parts are so proportioned and arranged that in this position of the reservoir the valve stem 34 and thereby the valve member 31, is held raised by the bottom of the well 5 so as to establish which isflared outwardly so as to engage with the upper edge of the casing and support the cup therein. The well is made of a diameter substantially greater than the thickness of the reservoir so that, as shown -in Fig. 3, it extends outwardly from the base 1 a somewhat reater distance. In order to guard against the falling of rain or other substance into the well, a curved plate or shield 39 is provided. This shield is secured to the outer side of the reservoir immediately over the well.

As is usual in burners of the type herein employed, the burner bowl 26 is nor mally disposed in the horizontal plane of the oil well 5. communication therebetween being established by the discharge pipe 6 and delivery tube 7 By this arrangement the oil in the burner bowl is maintained at the level of the oil in the well 5. atmospheric pressure upon the surface of the oil in the well serving to control the flow of oil thereinto, in a manner well known in the art. Accordingly, when it is desired to extinguish the lighted burner, it is only necessary to raise the burner bowl above the level of the oil in the well so as to cut oil the supply of oil to the bowl. Preferably the discharge pipe 6 leads downwardly from the well 5 and thence transversely through the base 1. The end of the pipe. protruding from the base, may be closed by means of a cap 40.

The delivery tube 7 serves to connect the discharge pipe 6 with the burner 3, and in order that the burner bowl may be raised above the level of the oil in the well 5 said tube is made extensiblein form, comprising a lower or outer section 7 a and an upper or inner section 7*. The lower section 7 is mounted on the transverse portion of the pipe 6 so as to communicate therewith, by means of a bracket 41, and the upper section is arranged to telescope within the lower section and is secured to the lower edge of the burner bowl 26 by means of an apertured metallic block 42 which is secured to the bowl as by brazing and into which the pipe section is threaded. Said bracket l-l consists of two standards 43 and and 4A spaced apart by two blocks 45 and 46 respectively located above and below the pipe 6. The block 45 has a cen tral opening 47 therein into which threaded the lower end of the tube section 72 and the lower end of the block is fitted into a cup 48 fastened on the pipe 6 by a nipple 48 threaded into the pipe. Said nipple is provided with a head between which and the bottom of the cup is clamped a washer 18 of lead or the like. The block 46 is also provided with a central opening which is threaded to receive a. set screw 19. It will be seen that by tighteningthe set screw, the bracket 41 and thereby the lower pipe section 7 may be firmly clamped upon the pipe 6.v Preferably the standard 43 is extended to a height equal to the height of the tube section 7, and at its upper end is bent laterally and provided with an opening to receive the upper end of said tube section. Preferably the internal diameter of the lower section, at the upper endthere- 01, is made suiiiciently greater than the external diameter of the upper section to enable a gland 50 to be fitted onto the upper section and threaded into the upper end of the lower section, while in its lower 'portion the lower tube section is made of a diameter to neatly receive the lower portion of the upper section, thus forming a bearing therefor.

It will be seen that the construction thus set forth permits the burner 3 to be raised and lowered relative to the oil well as may be desired. The means for accomplishing this result comprises a bracket 51 slidable on the tube 7 by means of a hand lever 52 and carrying by means of arms and 53 the burner 2. The bracket 51 has bearing lugs 54 and at its opposite ends arranged to slideupon the outer tube section 7 The hand lever 52 is pivotally mounted between its ends upon a pin 52 carried by the stand ard 43 of the bracket 11, and the outer end of the handle is operable in a slot 56 in the side wall of the base 1, the inner end thereof being bifurcated to straddle the tube section 7 and entered through slots 57 (Fig. 3) in the bearing bracket 51. The outer enclosing wall thus serves to guide the lever in its up and down movements, preventing the bracket from rotating on the stem and thereby maintaining the burner in proper position within the heater. Each of the arms and 53 is formed on a plate 58 (Figs. 2 and 4:) extending diametrically across the bottom of the burner bowl and secured thereto. For thus securing the plate to the bowl the latter is provided with an inwardly extending annular fiange 59 provided at its opposite sides with a pair of slots 60, and each plate has a pair of lugs 61, one at each end, ar-

ranged to be entered through the slots 60 and bentto secure the plate to the flange, the lugs of the two plates being bent in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the lower ends of the arms 53 and 53 are spaced apart a short distance and are rigidly secured to the bracket 51. To this end the opposite edges of the bracket are notched (Fig. 3) to receive the ends of the arms, and the latter are beaded at their free ends to form openings for the reception oi. the legs of a U-shaped retaining wire 62. If desired, a. second arm 63 may be provided on each of the plates 58, terminating a short distance above the bracket 51, and serving to retain the 'wire 62 in holding position.

A suitable number of air inlet openings are provided in the base 1 of the heater to permit the entrance of air for the burner. Herein I have provided two rows of openings 65 and 66, the row 65 being located near but at a substantial distance above the lower end of the base and the other row 66 being located in the flared ring 9 near the upper end of the base. It will thus be apparent that it the heater should be set in water of such a depth as to close the lower row of openings, air would still be admitted to the burner through the upper row. Preterably such openings are made of substantial size so as not to become c-logged'with mud or the like, and in order that blasts of air entering through such enlarged openings shall not be permitted to encounter the burner directly I have provided draft de fleeting means in the form of a pair 01" inwardly and downwardly flared ring sections 67 (one only being shown, Fig. 8) for the openings 65, and an annular ring 68 for the openings 66. The ring sections 67 are supported upon a transverse plate or partition 69 mounted near the bottom of the base 1 immediately below the openings 65, and are spaced apart sufficiently to receive between them the transverse portion of the oil discharge pipe 6, said plate being provided with an opening 70 for the bracket 41 on the pipe 6. The ring- 68 is secured to the ring 9 of the base and protrudes upwardly slightly above the plane of the openings 66. It will be seen that the means thus provided serves to efi'ectively deflect the blasts of incoming air in such a manner as not to interfere with the efficiency of the burner.

It will be understood that when it is desired to light the burner it is only necessary to operate the push pin 16 to release the drum 2, whereupon access to the burner may be had and the lighting ring 27 lighted. When it is desired to extinguish the burner it is only necessary to operate the hand lever 52 to raise the burner bowl and thus carry the lighting ring above the level of the oil in the oil well. Thus, when the oil has been consumed in the bowl, the burner will be come extinguished. If desired, a hinged door 71 may be provided in the drum 2 in order to permit of an inspection of the burner, to ascertain whether or not it is lighted or for any other purpose.

Near its upper end the drum 2 is provided with a carrying handle 72. The hail of this handle is shaped to lie closely alongside the peripheral edge of the top plates 18 and 19 so as to permit the oil reservoir to be slipped over the drum and removed when desired. Preferably the size of the handle is such that when it is in its inoperative position alongside the drum, the free end of the handle will lie upon the top of the reservoir 4:, with the bent in portions of the bail engaging with the door '71 to hold it closed.

Preferably the heater is made of a minimum height overall, so that it may be carried by the handle without requiring the person carrying it to bend his arm, Thus the heater becomes readily transportable. In accomplishing this result the drum 2 is made of a much shorter length than is usual in heaters of this general type, and in order to prevent a. too rapid passage 01 the heat from the burner directly to the outlet opening 20 in the drum top, a battle 2 is mounted substantially centrally of the drum as by means of straps 2". At the lower end of the heater the base is preferably provided with a removable bottom 1 Within the flared ring 8. To this end the ring is provided on one side with one or more supporting fingers 1 and at its other side with a spring" latch 1 ontered through an opening 1 in the bottom and engaging therewith at one edge of said opening to hold the same in place.

In the use of the heater, when the oil reservoir 4 is removed for refilling and then replaced into position upon the warm heater, there is a tendency of the cool air which may be in the reservoir, upon becoming warmed to expand and exert an abnormal pressure upon the oil in the well so as to cause its level to rise and thus to flood the burner bowl 26. In order to obviate this'difticulty I have provided an annular chamber 73 opening into the Well 5 (see Fig. 7) at opposite sides thereof and disposed so that its bottom is in the plane of the normal height of the oil in the well. It will thus be seen that when the oil has a tendency to rise in the well above its normal level, by reason of an abnormal pressure upon the oil in the reservoir, it will find an outlet into the annular chamber. Thus the chamber serves to stabilize or maintain substantially constant the height of the oil in the well and prevent an oversupply of oil from being fed to the burner bowl.

It will be seen that I have provided a heater which is readily adapted for the purpose intended, but I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to any particular use thereof nor to the construction and arrangement set forth except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

The raising and lowering means herein illustrated and described is being claimed in my copending application Serial No. 509,376, filed October 21, 1921.

I claim as my invention:

A portable oil heater having a base, a drum movably mounted upon the base, an oil reservoir carried by the base, an oil Well at one side of the base having a pipe depend ing therefrom and extending into the base, a burner having an annular burner bowl mounted in the base and having a connection with the pipe in the lower portion of the base permitting of relative up and down movement between the burner and the well means providing communication between the reservoir and said well whereby to maintain a constant oil level in the well, and means operable from a point exteriorly of the base for effecting relative up and down movement between the burner bowl and said oil level.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

RUDOLPH HOFFMAN. 

